1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for lifting small vehicles such as motorcycles for maintenance and storage, and more particularly to a lift apparatus adapted with multi-position ratchet mechanism to allow the lift to be fixed at various heights.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of lifts to raise and lower small vehicles, such as motor cycles, is well known it the art. The present inventor has contributed to advancements in the art of mechanical lifts as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,598,855 and 7,004,454, each titled Motorcycle and Small Vehicle Lift, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrations of the prior art vehicle lift disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,855. The prior art lift systems are generally characterized as having base frame having a pair of ground engaging caster assemblies and a pair of horizontally extending divergent legs each having an inner end attached to the base frame and an outer end with a roller attached thereto, the casters and the rollers permitting the lift apparatus to roll across the ground surface. A dual parallelogram linkage includes a pair of the posts attached to the base frame and is attached to vehicle support arms. An actuator is connected between the linkage and the base frame and is manually actuated to selectively raise and lower the vehicle support arms between a lowered position for engaging and disengaging from a vehicle and a fully raised position. The actuator may be an electrically powered hydraulic actuator system.
One limitation present with this prior art vehicle lift system relates to the mechanism used to fix the lift at a desired height. The lifts disclosed in the '855 and '454 patents each rely on locking plates having a plurality of apertures formed therein. The apertures define stop positions at which the vehicle support arms may be fixed above the supporting surface. A pin is manually inserted through corresponding ones of said apertures prevent downward rotation of the support arms thereby allowing the vehicle to be fixed at a variety of height positions. This mechanism, however, is burdened with a number of limitations and disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the mechanism does not automatically engage, but rather requires the user to manually insert the pin which is found dangling from a chain. In addition, the mechanism is located below the support arms thereby presenting poor ergonomics that require the user to bend down below the supported vehicle in order to insert the pin. The use of a pair of plates further requires aligned insertion of the pin, which can be difficult when operating at an awkward position.
In view of the limitations and disadvantages present in the art, there remains a need for further advancements in the art of small vehicle lift systems.